The Music, Mission and Young People project was set up early in 2024, to explore how churches throughout the Diocese are running, or would like to run, music initiatives for young people, with a faith development pathway.
The project is being led by Richard Hubbard (Project Director) and Andrew Gosden (Project Manager).
Richard said, "So far we’ve found 25 churches that are wanting to develop activities, covering a wide range of approaches, including traditional church choirs, after-school music clubs, youth community choirs and music groups. This is really encouraging".
A key part of the Music, Mission, Young People (MMYP) project is to encourage faith development in young people through music activities. To help support churches with this, a new Suffolk Music for Growing Faith Network is being launched with their first meeting to be held in January 2025.
Richard added. "Our aim is to develop our local network as a place for mutual support and encouragement, as we learn from each other across a wide range of traditions and styles. In particular we will be looking at ways in which church music activities can be a vehicle to help children discover and grow in Christian faith. We’ll share our successes, our hopes, our struggles and our ideas for growing faith though music".
The Network is open to church musicians, choir leaders, clergy, youth workers, children and families workers – in fact anyone with a desire to combine music with mission and faith development for young people, or support those doing so. The Network is offered in partnership with the national Music for Growing Faith Network run by the Growing Faith Foundation.
The first meeting will be held on Tuesday 21 January from 12.30pm to 1.30pm, via Zoom.
You can register to join the Network click here.
The new online community of leaders will meet periodically to share ideas and learn from each other.
Richard is Music Development Director for St Edmundsbury and Ipswich and runs the inter-church choir Cantus Firmus, and he also teaches music at London School of Theology. Andrew has been Project Manager of Lightwave and is a talented musician who plays and sings with St Mary le Tower, Ipswich.